37 replies to this topic

[Dingo Battler]

Anyone have any idea how to? It seems pretty hard in PUG, especially in the higher tiers when they deathball a lot more. Also, it seems whether a match is won or loss depends a lot on the longer range pokes in PUG, which brawlers are pretty bad in.

I'm asking as I just bought the hero Kodiak. I want to use it like an atlas, but doesn't seem easy at all.

[Hit the Deck]

More often than not, this means catching an unaware enemy Mech and take him out in a 1 vs 1 "duel" (more like ambush). To make this happens, you generally need to know the flow of the battle (easier said than done) and the map's layout. Prepare your movement, choose your victim, decide when and where you are going to meet him.

IMO there are different types of brawlers, each with their own unique playstyle. Some of the them are:

• close ranged Lights
  
• fast with burst damage strikers, e.g.: GRF, SCR, and TBR
  
• durable and slow, e.g.: Atlai or Highlanders
  
• big and fast, e.g.: Wubshee, Battlemasters, or EXE

[STEF_]

Brawling and hard pushes require a lot of teamplay, which is nearly absent in pug matches.

[Escef]

It's really about knowing the map, knowing how players usually run the map, knowing how to sneak around... And a little bit of luck doesn't hurt, either.

I've gotten hideous backstab kills in brawl mechs plenty of times. I've gutted a Timby from behind with a Dire, dude had no idea I was there until I opened up on him. I've gotten so many backstab kills in my SplatDog that I named it RibKnife. It can be done, and it's incredibly gratifying.

[Pjwned]

The first step to brawling in solo queue is to not pick the biggest, slowest mech possible.

Seriously, if you want to brawl then get something faster, otherwise it's going to be a nightmare.

[sycocys]

A lot of it depends on your playstyle/definition of brawling - or what you are piloting that determines what brawling is.

I don't consider brawling tanking damage and seeing who lasts the longest, to me its kiting into position and playing the chess match game of controlling your opponents opportunities by combining navigation of cover with placing shots on locations that will keep them from wanting to risk facing you up. Active engagement in the ~300m range, not poke and hide - hit while moving and continuing to keep the pressure on.

Personally I use faster mechs for this. 80kph min, preferably 110+ - not scared of dropping xl's in anything.

That's for everything not an assault. In assaults I consider brawling putting down pure DPS pushes, maximized to PPFLD with a strong preference for DPS over alpha strikes. You put your shots either into CT or ST and just keep shredding their faces off - *most* players aren't going to respond well to this, you'll see a lot of shifting about and not a lot of effective return fire.

-- Either way you go the real trick is being patient to a point, then having the balls to just go for it when you feel like the timing is right to put the pressure on. Never be in the middle or the outside of the deathball if this is going to be your plan - you don't want to be enticed to run off or stuck in a turtle formation.

A key skill is being able to put shots on important targets very consistently WHILE you are moving at full/near full speed or making a hard turning maneuver - mechs with huge twist ability and thin profiles help a ton.

Edited by sycocys, 18 February 2016 - 06:45 AM.

[Escef]

sycocys, on 18 February 2016 - 06:43 AM, said:

Personally I use faster mechs for this. 80kph min, preferably 110+ - not scared of dropping xl's in

Have you tried a 400XL BattleMaster yet? 81.9 kph after speed tweak. The universal BattleMaster build is 400XL, endo steel, +11 double sinks, near max armor (65 on the legs, everything else maxed), and 4xLL (ER optional). I prefer to use the 1G with a LL in the arm, 2xML and an ERLL each side torso, with an AMS and 0.5 tons ammo filling out the left over ton (Lightshow); or 2xML in the arm, and 2xML and a PPC each side torso on the 3M (Lightshow II). They're really fun, and faster than anything that size had any business going.

[sycocys]

Yes my Battlemasters have exclusively xl engines - but I'd consider them more of a heavy than an assault. Half or better of my assaults run max or near max xl. Basically unless I require that torso slot space, it's getting an xl engine.

[CygnusX7]

Lead your team into position.

[Monkey Lover]

You kind of answered your own question. Basically don't in pugs. Join a team if you want to brawl. Or Get a medium mech and run at 100kph+ so you can track down solo mechs.

Edited by Monkey Lover, 18 February 2016 - 08:02 AM.

[Hit the Deck]

CygnusX7, on 18 February 2016 - 07:55 AM, said:

Lead your team into position.

+1

I forgot my own advice. Even made a thread about it.

[mogs01gt]

KBurn85, on 18 February 2016 - 03:56 AM, said:

Anyone have any idea how to? It seems pretty hard in PUG, especially in the higher tiers when they deathball a lot more. Also, it seems whether a match is won or loss depends a lot on the longer range pokes in PUG, which brawlers are pretty bad in.
I'm asking as I just bought the hero Kodiak. I want to use it like an atlas, but doesn't seem easy at all.

Its honestly very difficult. I've been struggling with this as well. I've tried the ECM sneak but with the deathball, you cant get the angles you need.

I've pretty much stopped trying..

[KHETTI]

In the solo queue, brawling requires...
1.Good map knowledge.
2.Patience.
3.good ability to read the flow of a battle.
4.Positioning.
5.Timing.
6.Target choice

[Lightfoot]

You take a mixed range load-out and wait for an opening. This works well since brawling weapons, except for an AC20, are light weight so the damage output can be as high or higher than a pure brawler build. The you can make opening attacks at long range and still have the short range punch. SRMs, Small Lasers, Medium Lasers are all good for filling out the short range DPS without consuming too much weight. Kodiak should do this well.

[sycocys]

It really is 90% timing in PUG matches. You have to be patient to a point to let the goofballs get bored of playing hide and poke, and ready with some good angles and routes to launch into the second you get a chance.

Speed is a key necessity to make it work in Puglandia.

[Novakaine]

Not if I can help it.
When I see a enemy mech trying to throw down with a teamie.
That's the perfect target

[sycocys]

Novakaine, on 18 February 2016 - 09:47 AM, said:

Not if I can help it.
When I see a enemy mech trying to throw down with a teamie.
That's the perfect target

And that's why I announce "Novakaine is the Primary" in all chat every time we are in a match together. Helps to balance the game out.

[Uncl Munkeh]

sycocys, on 18 February 2016 - 10:40 AM, said:

And that's why I announce "Novakaine is the Primary" in all chat every time we are in a match together. Helps to balance the game out.

Yep, or you simply use the tried and true nascar. The Assaults are the bait.

[sycocys]

No, its far more entertaining to call out some random person or fellow forumwarrior regardless of which side they drop on.

[AlphaToaster]

A lot of good advice here. What I like to do is use line of sight a lot with a mech that has seismic, radar deprevation, and a UAV.

I will avoid exchanging (easy since I have a short range mech), but I mean I avoid peeking and otherwise exposing myself. I don't want to be Letter Identified by the other team until I make my move.

Move toward the enemy position using the best map terrain to hide and pop the UAV right when you engage. The UAV will make some players look up for a few seconds if they see it, or illuminate them all if they dont.

Once immediately in the enemy's face, now it gets tricky. If possible remain in cover, but in line of sight of your support/snipers and if lucky, enemy players will take turns trying to peek, taking fire from long range, and when exposed, from your brawler that is dug in.

Make them fight in the open on your teams side of the terrain.

I recommend watching some Professional Paintball videos on youtube. There is a lot of paintball style tactics in regards to movement, LOS, and setting up firing lanes that can be directly applied to MWO.

Here is a good one from Dynasty and Houston Heat that is probably the best one from 2015. Think of the back players as snipers, the front players as brawlers, and the guys in mid that move up and left/right as support. Brawlers establish where the game will be played. Support establish safety for the brawlers so they just don't get overrun, and the support shift around filling in the holes in the firing lanes.